Alumni Hall – Vanderbilt University

Vanderbilt University Development in Nashville

Design: Bruner/Cott Associates

Location: Nashville, Tennessee, USA

This project comprises the renewal of the university’s original student center, a 1925 Tudor Revival building designed by Henry C. Hibbs as a World War I memorial that is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

photos : Richard Mandelkorn

Bruner/Cott’s initial study developed a reuse program to take advantage of the central location of this small building while respecting its historical significance, details, and finishes. Vanderbilt’s development team (administration, faculty, staff, and students) concurred that the revitalized Alumni Hall would become a satellite center in relation to the other student centers on campus. The introduction of new mechanical systems into its historic interiors was one of the major design challenges. The firm’s solution, exterior additions on the rear facade, provides necessary mechanical, life safety, and accessibility improvements.